If There's A Tomorrow
by Dances-of-shadows
Summary: Kuso... The curse fell from her lips almost silently.
1. Kunoichi

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters in this story; however, any OCness that occurs is my own, leaving me with the will to bend the story as I please..._

_*italics* - Thinking/Past_

**Chapter One:**

The bitter taste of copper filled the back of her throat and she grimaced. Her body was giving in, knees bending to the will of gravity. When she fell, her hands kept her torso from hitting the dirt for what would be the trillionth time. One eye was open as she stared at her bodies support, the index finger and thumb on her left hand were sporting a nice set of compound fractures.

She choked back a sob, something that sounded foreign and barbaric all at once. Blood poured thickly from her lips and bleached her teeth. The crimson liquid dripped onto the ground from all sections of her body, pooling around her like a death-like aura.

She remembered the words he left her with; those eternal few seconds played forever in her head and twisted her. Sakura Haruno knew she would be forever changed, that she was already. He had left her there, alone and dying. Not one note of sentimental words like he had left with long ago.

_"You're just as annoying..." The crimson of his eyes bore into her; he smirked in a bittersweet fashion, full of putrid irony._

_"Sasuke..." _

_The words she had embodied to express in the back of her throat didn't emerge, fore his fingers had stopped them, lifting her up, putting a crushing force upon her windpipe._

_"Do not tell me of your unreturned love for me, it's a nuisance. I need no such bond with you. In fact these bonds, with Naruto, Kakashi, Konoha...and you, even you...they will perish today. I will sever them." _

_She gazed into his disturbing stare unable to resist, unable to turn from him as he had her. Warm liquid steadily made its way from her gaping vision._

_Mangekyou Sharigan_

_"Sa..." His fingers were still crushing, and suddenly, they were gone._

_She was standing alone, in her mangled uniform, in darkness._

_Now, unlike before, she was so much more afraid._

_"Sasuke...?" She looked around, no one, nothing existed here._

_"For the next thirty-six hours, you will experience a pain that you could never possibly imagine. For the next thirty-six hours I will bring you close to death only to revive you and repeat the process."_

_She snapped around, her vision catching a snag of something fleeting, "Sasuke?"_

_His arms went around her waist and she froze, feeling his hand wander up her side past her ribs, past her breasts, only to trace on her collarbone, as if a loving gesture only to have him tear into it, severing the nerves, her body was on fire. She screamed._

"Kunoichi?"

She tried to remember, where, where had she heard that voice. She attempted to look up, but blood had matted her eyes closed and her neck had a long gash around the spinal column.

"Kunoichi?"

She feathered an attempt to think, but the evil poison of death seemed to want to captivate her at the moment, taking away her sanity of mind, she answered him long ago, but not on her carful speculation.

"A little cruel, for such a flower..."

She knew that voice, it was, so similar to his.

And suddenly, she knew, her brain clicked, going a million miles a minute...Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, both S-class criminals working for the Akatsuki.

"Kuso..." The curse fell from her lips almost silently.

Darkness was consuming her, enveloping her in a security blanket of protection, and suddenly she had plummeted to the land of distorted and mindless dreams.

(A.N. Chapter 1 redo… *ugh*)


	2. First Signs

**Chapter 2: **

It was hard to imagine the pretty Itachi carrying a dying girl miles upon miles until the group reached a small cave, a very small cave. If you would have asked the kunoichi, she would have laughed and denied even the humor of thought, so she chose to imagine the shark-faced tyrant, Kisame.

The odd-looking man was speaking to her, his razor-edged teeth sparkling with the suns reflection. His small black eyes had crow's feet ebbing from the corners as he smiled. She may have assumed it was a comforting gesture, despite its animalistic appearance.

"Kunoichi?"

That grin in his voice one again was taunting her to speak; however, her throat was sore, her mouth was dry and it seemed as if her lips had been glued shut, Haruno Sakura was dehydrating.

"She will die…"

Jade looked towards the other man, Uchiha Itachi. Despite everything he had done to Sasuke, she could not hate him like she had believed she did in the past. He had a coldness in his eyes that proved he could be a malicious adversary. In spite of the chills and luminous appearance, in her groggy state, she saw the beauty; the sliky smooth look of his hair tied back in a low ponytail and the ivory color of flesh that seemed to coat his structure perfectly. Sakura Haruno suddenly hoped the reason she noticed was because she was dying of bloodloss and dehydration.

She lightly feathered his name in her head as she stared at the shorter smaller man converse with the overgrown shark-hybrid. Her fingers shifted slightly without her knowledge. A twange jerked harshly in her chest and she felt the words trickle from her bloodmatted chapped lips.

"Uh-chii-ha…" The words were spoken so quietly, so softy that they were scarcely heard.

Itachi's gaze shifted ever so slightly, spared her a glance. His smooth façade did not reveal the surprise he felt at her ability to speak, despite it being sluggish and drawled out. He simply flicked a delicated finger in her direction and Kisame took the hint, catching the girls chin in his hand and tilting the cup.

The liquid seeped past her teeth, across her tounge and down her throat.

Heaven, it felt like heaven as it touched the sore muscles in her mouth, the savory sweet salvation of the substance made her want to swoon, however, she was in no condition to move much less be charmed by a mere offering of water from an enemy.

The corners of her lips twitched ever so slightly, but not so much that the Akatsuki member didn't notice. He tilted his head to the side and gave a boyish grin before he refilled the small cup and put it back to her burning lips.

She glared slightly at him.

"Kisame…we will keep her…" Itachi's eyebrows rose in mock-humor as he watched her gaze shift from his partner to himself. Her expression falling from irritation to horror. He leaned forward, his arm extending to grasp her hair and perhaps pull it, or so she assumed. Something slipped from her hair, causing her bangs to fall into her eyes. He was smiling slightly now, his hands holding her preciaous hitaite. The connection that proved who she was a daughter to. Her back went ridged.

"Oneday, you will make your own choice…until then, this is mine." He smirked slightly, placing the forehead protector inside his Akatsuki cloak.

She attempted a growl, it failed as she realized her fatigue and collapsed against the other mans shoulder. Her head was light and her breath felt as if it burned her lungs. The water they supplied had started its breakdown process in order to nutrate her dehydrated body. She attempted to clench her fists, her hands twitched.

Kisame laughed and stood, her body slamming into the uneven floor of the cave. A small noise of pain bubbled from her parted lips as she lay with her face slightly in the dirt. The small pebbles and rocks struck and dug deep into any abused flesh it could find.

A light sound stole her attention from the papers before her. Shifting slightly in her chair she eyed the door, "Come in."

The door clicked and shifted slowly, catching the blonde's attention.

"Lady Tsunade?"

The Anbu officer was before her in an instant causing her to stand from her seat, her fists on her desk.

"Report…"

Something was amiss, she felt the swift formation of chills shiver their way down her spine, making her cringe unnoticeably; something would pose a threat to her current plan for Konoha.

"Mission, failure, Sasuke was not apprehended…he escaped…and…"

She watched the figure before her, noticing him slightly change weight on his feet, shifting ever so often. She silently took in his hidden thoughts from mhis demeanor, not capable of seeing his face through his animal mask.

"And?"

"Your apprentice…she in unaccounted for Hokage…I apologize for the inconvenience…" He had his hands behind his back fiddling with his fingers thinking of anything except the wrath of the female Sannin he was surely about to be on the receiving end of. He was shocked when she dropped heavily into her seat, her head in her hands with her elbows on her desk.

"Hokage?"

"It's nothing…" The darkness in her voice almost made his body freeze.

"What would you like me to do?" He spoke carefully realizing he was on thin ground.

Suddenly, she was out of the stupor, once again on her feet, "File a missing-nin report, and get me Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi. I want three squads out looking for Sakura as well; if she was taken I want to know who by and at what extent."

"Yes ma'am!" With that the Anbu officer was gone, the door closing behind him.

When he disappeared she frowned and dropped back into her chair. Her eyes closed and she put her cheek in her palm.

"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura…Kami. Please Kami, watch over her."

Thunder bellowed and the first signs of rain pelted the the Hidden Village of Leaves.

"Onna…"

Her vision was swimming. She didn't know if it as from the blood loss and dehydration or if it was due to the onslaught of rain outside the slight crevice of a cave.

"Aren't you friends with the nine tails?"

His voice was rough yet smooth like silk and it sent chills down her spine. She refused to answer him, he as an enemy. She was no traitor to Konoha.

"Onna?"

She furrowed her brows; a headache was pressuring its way into her system.

"Oi, its Sakura, Haruno Sakura…"

(A.N. *sigh* am tired…)


	3. Illusions

**Chapter 3:** Illusions

It poured, seeming like the torrent would never stop, as if the skies were voicing her emotions. Lightning littered the heavens, weaving.

"Here..."

His voice caused her to jump, despite her being around the males for a few days, she still wasn't used to their strange demeanors.

A cloak was dropped in front of her, folded in a perfect manner.

His gaze never wavered from her haggard form, she had refused food and water, she had refused everything they had offered her, she was a ninja, a protector of Konoha, and would surely not betray it. She was weak yet strong, and all the more pathetic by her imperfections, surely she would not lure the fox-boy or his brother, but perhaps if he brought her to his brother, the fox would follow...

* * *

"Kakashi?" It was Naruto's voice that caused him to slip from his book frenzied demeanor. 

He sighed fro the upteenth time that day, letting his eyes roll heavenward, he had just got a new Icha Icha Paradise, and here was Naruto asking him every possible question in the world, ones that had no way of being answered.

"Look, I know just as much as you know about this mission Naruto...it was a little irritating when we figured out Sai wouldn't be accompanying us to find Sakura, since we could've use--"

"We don't need him, if he couldn't come then apparently he figured Sakura wasn't important enough." Naruto growled out, interupting Kakashi's attempt to get the message through, the blonde's expression had turned grim, his face was strained and his eyes outlined with sleepless nights.

Kakashi had never seen his student so down before, he took a moment to think of something to cheer him up, "Weathers pretty good..."

"So..."

* * *

"Why were you alone, if infact it was the youngest Uchiha that attacked you, wouldn't he have atleast killed you?" 

Sakura was staring at the ground, her hands hanging limply at her sides as she trudged on with the two Akatsuki. The wound in her neck was acting up and she hadn't realized before how sore her legs were.

"He said he was breaking our ties..."

The sharkfeatured man seemed taken aback by her answer, whether it was the fact that she answered or her response, she would probably not know.

"Kisame...you sense that?"

Itachi's voice was hidden, emotionless, not hinting at a single clue to give off if he was worried or concerned in any manner.

"Let's go..."

With those words, Sakura was suddenly flung roughly over Kisame's shoulder, her face smacking right into his shoulderblade.

"Bastard..." She muttered under her breath.

* * *

"Hey, thats Sakura's..." Naruto hopped down from the tree limb he had been standing on previously. 

The mask as face down in the dirt, a long crack was down the side.

She was wearing this when she fought Sasuke.

Naruto looked over at Kakashi and then frowned.

* * *

Thick hair ruffled lightly in the wind, he had just left the sound village, wandering, looking.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He turned to look at the pink haired ninja beside him, while his other team had left, she had stayed, their mission had been completed, so they were done, but this persistant annoying woman...

once he caught himself almost say it, and it broke him almost into.

"You're ann--..." He looked away from her as she clung to him and he irritably knocked her off.

"Karin...leave..."

she stopped for a moment and then ignored his demand, "No way Sasuke-kun!"

He sighed, she would never be annoying...


	4. Wrong Turn?

**Chapter 4:** Wrong Turn?

The sun burned her eyes, but she ignored it and rolled over, a naked shoulder pressed against chilled stone.

Something brushed lightly against the flesh of her neck, causing her to scrunch her nose in irritation.

"onna..."

And suddenly, everything came back.

Onyx eyes snapped open.

She was with he Akatsuki, two of the most dangerous men in the whole world. Her stomach dropped and she felt the blood drain from her her face, down her neck.

"Must have been a pleasent dream...eh?"

Eyes slanted into an irritated glare, "bastard."

"You're not our prisoner you know...more like, we just need you for a few things...but, that doesn't mean you can do completely as you wish. As long as its in our juridiction then...by all means..." A toothy grin flashed across sharklike features.

She leaned up and huffed, the thick red and black cloak dropped from her torso, exposing flesh and bandaged wounds.

She froze and pulled the covering back to her chest.

"By the way, we knoticed your chakra was depleting from malnutrition, so we treated your wounds..."

She frowned suddenly, "But...why?"

"Hn.."

The unmistakeable response came from none other than the oldest Uchiha...Sasuke's brother...Itachi. The way he was standing, staring at her...it made her feel as if her heart would burst. Dreams flooding back into her mind caused a blush to form on her cheeks, but just as it came, her steadfast control took over.

"Your under a binding Jutsu, so...dont get smart, no one will recognize you..."

"Where are we?"

"Safe." the reply was quick but not harsh, The sharkman dropped beside her.

"Decided yet?"

She turned away, igoring them.

"We will be leaving soon...Don't get too comfortable..."

A swirl of red and black was all that was left in the mans wake.

* * *

"Sasuke-Kun!" 

_Irritating..._

The people around them were loud, almost too loud. A headache was coming on.

"Let's dance..." She was tugging on his arm.

The only reason he was here was because this was the main hotspot for information. Because, in order to find what he needed...he had to be here.

"Sasuke!"

"Go away..."

"But...Sasuke..." She bit her lip and put her cheek against the palm of her hand, glaring at him from her stool.

A conversation from the otherside of him triggered his attention.

"Haven't you heard.."

His ears perked up.

"Konoha..."

_Konoha...what about Konoha..._

He could only catch small parts, but what they said next, caused him to freeze.

"Oi, the Akatsuki took her I heard...didn't stand a chance...wounded.."

His eyes widened slightly and his throat tightened, for what...he wasn't sure.

"The Sannin's pupil...Haruno...something Haruno..."

"Sakura."

the group turned to him.

"What?" A petite young bounty hunter piped up, starring at him irritably.

"Her names Sakura Haruno..."

She spat to the side.

"Yeah, you'd know right?"

Both parties turned to the new intruder. Sasuke and karin both stood, she stepped up to his side.

"Naruto..."


	5. Demons

**Chapter 5: Demons**

The sign leading into the bar had been broken, probably by some ugly fight or just wear and tear.

"Hey…Beautiful…"

She cringed.

'_go away…'_

"You wanna have a little fun doll.."

And, suddenly, out of the blue, a hand grasped her bare shoulder, "She's accounted for."

She released the breath she had been holding.

The cloak and crimson cloud designs must have triggered recognition in the man, fore he paled awkwardly and turned, immediately crashing into a trashcan and disappearing into the alleyway behind the bar.

"They know who you are with…they will leave you be," He smiled sweetly at her, "Beautiful."

Mocking…he was always mocking…

"Bastard..."

"Yeah yeah." With that, the shark-featured man was disappearing inside of another bar, probably whoring around.

'_Pervert.'_

* * *

"Sasuke..." 

Both looked the other up and down, debating.

"I think...you had something to do with this, Sasuke..."

Eyes narrowed in the fox-boys direction.

"The only thing I did, was tell the truth..."

Everyone was sitting down, surprisingly they hadn't had it out for the others throat yet.

"And...you left her there...to die..."

Karin shifted subconsciously,"Who's this Sakura...?"

Naruto turned his gaze to the female that bore exceedingly different but slightly similar features to the missing Kunoichi, " In our Genin years... she was...our teammate...that had..."

"Fallen in love with me..."

"Well its a good thing shes gone, cause he's mine..." She glared at the blond boy.

Naruto slammed his fist into the counter, earning it a cracking sound, " You'd tell me if you saw her...wouldn't you?"

"If the Akatsuki have her, shes as good as dead, if not already."

Someone had seated themselves by the aura-sensing kunoichi that was literally glued to The youngest Uchiha's arm.

The female lifted her hand at the tender and he set a sake bottle and cup in front of her.

She gulped the drink thankfully.

"Sasuke, speaking of Akatsuki...isnt that...their design?"

* * *

When she entered the bar, she wasn't planning on the males to already be there. 

_'Who's that girl..."_

She shrugged off the question and sat beside her, ordering a cup of Sake, waiting to see what the two shinobi brothers would do.

"Oi..."

She rolled her eyes, Naruto was retarded, stupid Dobe...

"Oi...are you an Akatsuki..?"

She sighed and turned to look at him, blowing a tendral of crimson hair from her eyes.

"Hai..."

Naruto jumped out of his chair so fast it flipped and he went to dive for her , anger burning in his eyes.

She felt his claws dig into the thigh of her dress, digging deeply into the flesh of her leg as well.

Sasuke held the fox-boy by the scruff of his hair.

"Give me a reason I shouldn't let him go."

She sighed, "judging by his head band he's a Konoha ninja..and that orange outfit, Uzumaki Naruto...keh.."

"Bitch, I'll rip your throat out!" His eyes had started to bleed red.

"Oi, you want that girl, Haruno Sakura...Itachi wants you to show up where the light bathes the valley in red, once you find it, you wil get your girlfriend back..."

She tore the claws from her leg and stood. Blood flowed elegantly down from the torn tissue.

She turned sharply and walked out, fighting to ignore the pain, onyx eyes forward.

When she made it out of the Bar, she caught eyes with Kisame as he sensed her pain, eyeing her leg, "Didn't go so well eh?"

He grabbed her around the waist, and they both disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"That bitch!!! Ill kill her.." Naruto snarled as the Uchiha held fast to him, blood dripping onto his sleeve. 

"Oi, Naruto, you got what you needed, and, I think I know what place hes talking about..."

* * *

She clenched her thigh in pain, Kisame ended up carrying her the rest of the way. 

"I can't believe he attacked me... " She huffed through the sweat and clenched teeth.

"He didn't know..." The sharks tone was soft and comforting.

"Blood loss, oh my kami, he got me good...set me down here..." She was placed on the ground, green chakra flowing form her fingertips.

The sun was setting and before she could utter another word, her world went black, and she felt herself being caught in the Akatsuki's arms.

* * *

Sweat marred her features; she could taste the metallic tang of blood on her tongue. 

"Itachi."

Something warm was suddenly draped over her, and then, immediately she realized, the said being was gazing into her own eyes.

His hair was down, framing his face. She'd never seen it down, she'd also never had a feeling that her heart would rip through her chest, but then…something about him…he was beautiful.

A hand gripped her shoulder lightly, but firmly enough to cause her to snap out of her stupor. His other hand brushed calmly over her lips.

"Itachi." She mumbled his name softly into his own hand, her emerald gaze staring up into his.

"Your lips, they're bleeding…" crimson orbs studied her carefully, "what have you done?"

Her face suddenly felt hot, fire was streaming up to her ears and she pursed her lips together.

Blood tipped the fingers that he withdrew, and she watched as he wiped it on his pants leg smoothly, like every moment he moved, every thing he did was perfectly calculated.

"I must have bit it in my sleep…"

She watched his eyebrow rise, "Why did you call my name?" He seemed curious, perhaps, concerned?

"I don't know…"She frowned

'_What's wrong with me?'_

"Kunoichi, did you dream of me?" He leaned in closer, so close that their noses almost touched, so close…that his breath fanned out on her cheek.

Crimson clashed with Jade.

"Itachi…" She tried to move back, however, there was no where to go.

"_Annoying…"_

"Are you afraid of me?" He smirked and let his forehead rest against her, closing his eyes and sighing, taking in her scent.

And just as the moment bled down upon her, it disappeared as something cool was suddenly placed in her hand.

"I'll let you make your choice…"

Just as he came, he was gone, the darkness of night concealing his exit, cloaking him in eternity.

After a moment, she let her gaze fall to her open hand, crimson hitaiate gleamed.

"What….do I want."

'_Who do I want?'_

Her fist clenched the parcel delicately.

* * *

(A.N.: Bet you guys were hoping for a kiss lol well sorry) 


End file.
